Jury selection in Couey trial off to a slow start

John Evander Couey, 47, is on trial in Miami for the kidnapping, rape and murder of nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Homosassa in February of 2005. Chief Judge Ric Howard of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, is presiding over the trial at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building in Miami after it was moved from Citrus County.

John VanBeekum/Miami Herald

BY MABEL PEREZSTAR-BANNER

Published: Monday, February 12, 2007 at 1:40 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 12, 2007 at 1:40 p.m.

MIAMI – It’s unlikely that a jury will be chosen by Friday in the John Couey murder case. By 1 p.m. Monday, only eight jurors had passed into the second round of questioning. Thirty jurors were questioned.

Chief Assistant State Attorney Ric Ridgway and Assistant Public Defender Daniel Lewan agreed to use Tuesday as a work day. At issue on Tuesday is whether Couey’s alleged statements to Citrus County Jail corrections officers will be heard at trial.

A defense mental health expert is set to arrive Tuesday for a deposition in connection to the incriminating statements. Couey is charged with kidnapping, rape and first-degree murder in connection with abduction and slaying of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford of Homosassa on Feb. 24, 2005.

Jury selection should resume on Wednesday.

It was evident that even though Couey’s trial was moved to Miami, residents here have heard about Couey, Jessica and some of Couey's confession.

Most of the jurors were dismissed Monday morning for hardship reasons. Many of them clearly seemed concerned when 5th Circuit Judge Richard Howard told them they could be sequestered up to a month.

Those eight jurors will be back on Friday.

Another factor that is slowing the picking of a jury is the language barrier. Several potential jurors told Howard they had trouble understanding and expressing themselves in English.

Before jury selection got under way Monday morning, Lewan again asked the judge to postpone the trial.

Slamming down a stack of documents Lewan said he wasn’t ready for trial.

<p>MIAMI – It’s unlikely that a jury will be chosen by Friday in the John Couey murder case. By 1 p.m. Monday, only eight jurors had passed into the second round of questioning. Thirty jurors were questioned.</p><p> </p><p> Chief Assistant State Attorney Ric Ridgway and Assistant Public Defender Daniel Lewan agreed to use Tuesday as a work day. At issue on Tuesday is whether Couey’s alleged statements to Citrus County Jail corrections officers will be heard at trial.</p><p> </p><p> A defense mental health expert is set to arrive Tuesday for a deposition in connection to the incriminating statements. Couey is charged with kidnapping, rape and first-degree murder in connection with abduction and slaying of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford of Homosassa on Feb. 24, 2005.</p><p> Jury selection should resume on Wednesday.</p><p> </p><p> It was evident that even though Couey’s trial was moved to Miami, residents here have heard about Couey, Jessica and some of Couey's confession.</p><p> </p><p> Most of the jurors were dismissed Monday morning for hardship reasons. Many of them clearly seemed concerned when 5th Circuit Judge Richard Howard told them they could be sequestered up to a month.</p><p> Those eight jurors will be back on Friday.</p><p> Another factor that is slowing the picking of a jury is the language barrier. Several potential jurors told Howard they had trouble understanding and expressing themselves in English.</p><p> </p><p> Before jury selection got under way Monday morning, Lewan again asked the judge to postpone the trial.</p><p> </p><p> Slamming down a stack of documents Lewan said he wasn’t ready for trial.</p><p> This court is moving on. We’re here and we’re doing this on protest, Lewan said.  We’re asking you to continue this.</p><p> Jury selection resumes at 2 p.m.</p><p><i>For more on this story, see Tuesday's edition of the Star-Banner and Ocala.com</i></p>